The Thinking Rocks

by Butkus, C. Allan

  Koonai produced a small container of red liquid that symbolized blood. He dipped his right thumb in the liquid and approached each maiden in turn. On each, he drew a vertical line down the forehead to the tip of the nose. He then put a point on the top of the line, symbolizing a spearhead. He then commanded, "Turn and face the clan." Sorou and Ceola turned as one toward the clan. "You see before you two maidens with acorns in their hair, this shows the power to grow and the power to feed. As the acorn grows to be the mighty oak so will these women grow with the help of the Great Spirit. The red on their faces is the blood of life which each carries. The spear on the forehead is to let all know that they are members of the Clan of the Spear. With this spear, we feed and protect ourselves. Let none raise the spear against one of our own. With the spear, we stand united." Koonai looked over to Moki and nodded. The beating on the log stopped. The silence was so loud it could almost be heard. Koonai raised the spear in his right hand and pointed it to the sky. "With the blessing of the Great Spirit," he paused and then said, "I present Sorou and Ceola. They are women of the Clan of the Spear."

  A murmur went through the clan as the beating on the log resumed. "They will choose mates, as is the custom. Any who wish to be considered must make a necklace and leave it on a stake by her fire. If the necklace is still on the stake after three nights, it means she accepts. If she does not favor the necklace, she will break the necklace and scatter the parts on the ground," Koonai stated.

  He moved to one side and said, "Let us now welcome both women to the clan."

  The clan came to its feet and started to chant "A HA, A HA, A HA." The sounds of the chant swelled as they began to stamp their feet in time to the beat on the log. Sorou and Ceola moved into the clan. They separated and approached each member of the clan individually. They put the palm of their right hand in the center of the chest of the person being greeted and their left hand on their right shoulder, and nodded their head twice. Each member of the clan returned the greeting.

  Sorou had headed for Cano as quickly as she could. She wanted him to know who her choice for a mate was. Before she could get to him, Loki stepped in front of her and smiled. She returned his smile and placed her hand on his chest in greeting. He returned the greeting but couldn't make eye contact with her as he was staring at her chest. He mumbled something and nodded his head. Sorou moved past him to Cano, a big smile on her face. Cano met her eyes and greeted her "Welcome Sorou, you are beautiful tonight." She placed her hand on his chest and could feel the wiry muscles beneath the skin. As he raised his hand to her chest, she shifted her position so that his hand brushed across both of her breasts before resting in the valley they formed. She let her eyes drop for a moment before she made eye contact. As his head nodded, she followed his movements. Then she said, "Thank you for the kindness. I wish there was some way I could show you how much that means to me. I will think about it and see if there is anything I can do for you." With a small smile she let her hand slide down his chest to his stomach, and then she turned and moved away.

  Ceola had not missed the interchange between Sorou and Cano. She could feel an anger rising from deep inside. If Sorou was after a fight, she was going to get one. Cano was going to be hers. He will be my man, she thought.

  Bana moved in front of Ceola and paused before speaking. "Ceola you are more beautiful each day. I am honored to have you as a member of my ---uh, I mean our clan. I welcome you with my heart." He placed her right hand over his heart and then placed his right hand on her right breast. "The life you feel is yours for the taking. If you will have me, I will protect you and provide for your needs."

  Ceola was caught off balance. She was well liked in the clan and got along well with everyone. When she was younger, she had played around the campfires with Bana and enjoyed his company. He would be a good choice for a mate. No, he would be an excellent choice. Someday she would be the mate of the chief of the clan. But, what of Cano? Just by thinking this way, she felt guilty. Something attracted her to Cano. His smile, or the way his eyes looked, or maybe it was the way he moved. Ceola gave Bana a smile and leaned toward him, "My thanks to you, I will remember this night and your offer. However, I must go now." Slowly Bana removed his hand, his eyes searching hers. Did she care enough for him to be his mate? He wasn't sure, but maybe, just maybe it might happen.

  Ceola moved away and headed for Cano. She heard her name called and turned to greet Bana's father, Hedra. He stopped in front of her and placed his hands on her chest and shoulder. He was a head taller than she was. She could feel the power that radiated from his hands and into her. Hedra's shoulders were large, and he had powerful arms and hands. His waist was narrow and his legs were strong and well developed. He had a long scar across his chest where a dead bison had taught him a lesson. His black hair fell almost to his shoulders, and his short black beard was edged with gray. He looked into her eyes and said, “It is on nights like this that I am proud to lead this clan. I welcome you to the Clan of the Spear. I wish you a warm fire and many children."

  Ceola nodded twice and thanked him, "I am honored; I will do my best not to disappoint you."

  “I'm sure you won't, I look forward to seeing you with Bana at our fire," he said as he turned and left.

  Ceola stood for a moment thinking about what was happening. It was clear she was being told that in the chief's eyes her choice should be his son. It would make her position secure and mean that Sorou would get Cano. She felt a bitterness rising in her throat. She didn't like the idea of losing to Sorou and she couldn't start to think about Cano as a brother. Ceola wanted him for herself. The time had come to see Cano.

  It seemed to Ceola it had taken her forever to work her way over to Cano. She couldn't remember whom she had greeted, but it had taken time, and her anger had cooled. As usual, his smile made her heart skip a beat. His chest felt cool to her touch and she was sure he could hear her heart pounding. Ceola placed his right hand over her heart, now he could feel it as well as hear it. She felt as if she could fall into his eyes.

  He spoke first, "Welcome to the clan. The flame of the fire fades before your beauty. I wish you the best the Great Spirit has to give."

  When she found her voice she said, “Many thanks and I wish you the same." Ceola couldn't help herself and added, "I saw you with Sorou, she is well?"

  Cano paused before answering, what are you supposed to say when the woman you yearn for has caught you with your hand on another woman's chest? He knew that he must say something or he would be in deeper trouble than he was already. "She is well and said she would like to be my friend. Forget Sorou. It is you, Ceola that I care for. I want more than your friendship. I don't know the words to say to let you know how I feel. I want you. I need you. I care for you more than I can say. I'm talking too much and am probably going to scare you away. Please forgive me." He dropped his head and stood there; afraid to hope she might feel the same toward him.

  Ceola's heart jumped at his words. He wanted her and not Sorou, "Oh Cano, you make me so happy. I want you too. Can I see you later tonight? We can talk and well… get things straight." She blushed when she thought of what she had said. "Will you meet me later tonight at the big rock by the river?"

  Before Cano could answer, Moki had resumed the beating of the log; it was the signal to return to the fire.

  Cano grasped her hand and nodded, and then he gave her a heart-stopping smile. "Soon," he said as he returned to his place.

  Over to the side, but within hearing distance, stood Loki. He stood with his back turned, he nodded his head on occasion as if he was in conversation with someone. His real purpose was to find out what was going on with Ceola and Cano. Now he knew about the rendezvous, the question to be answered was what to do with the information. This situation had to be turned around. If Ceola met Cano, tonight it would affect his chances of getting close to her. There had to be a way to keep them apart and not get caught. He smiled to himself, quite a challenge for a fool.

  Lessons by Fir
elight

  Koonai made a sweeping motion with his left hand and Moki changed the tempo of the beat on the log. “Tonight Bana feeds the clan. Bana, come forward and show us the hunt."

  Bana stood and surveyed the clan, then nodded to his father and then stepped forward until he was standing beside Koonai. They stood in sharp contrast to one another. Bana was tall and strong; he stood with the glow of youth, and with the knowledge that he would someday be chief of the clan. On the other hand Koonai was slender, many years older, and of average weight and height, but he had the ability and knowledge to change lives. His place and his power were secure.

  "On this day's hunt I led, and Moki and Loki followed." He motioned to Moki to stop the beat and come forward. Then he scanned the assembled faces until he found Loki sitting off to the side of the fire and motioned him forwarded with a nod of his head.

  Loki came forward with their three spears and a smile on his face. He enjoyed the attention he was getting. He was not the best hunter in the clan, but he was one of the best liked. His skills appeared limited and if he wanted notoriety, he would have to get it some other way. He chose to appear a fool. If an action could gain him a smile, he would do it. Tonight he knew there would be many smiles for him. Others in the clan might be humiliated and not want to be laughed at. He had hunted, fought, and killed a turkey. He moved forward until he was beside Bana and Moki. Loki smiled to himself, it was nice to be noticed and underestimated.

  Bana spoke with a powerful voice, "We left camp before the sun started to climb into the sky. It was dark when we arrived at the place by the stream where we thought the turkeys would feed." As he spoke, all three of them began walking single file around the fire. Each was carrying one of the spears that Loki had brought with him. They walked quietly as they would when moving through the forest. Their steps were almost a dance; they moved like shadows. Their heels always touched the ground before their toes, they moved with the rolling grace of the hunter. If Bana stopped the others stopped as one, it was as if there was only one creature with six arm and six legs. "We came to the hiding place." He motioned with his spear and Moki seemed to melt into the ground. Loki had floated over to the edge of the firelight and he too dissolved into the shadows. Bana’s voice was softer now and those at the back of the gathering had to listen carefully to hear his words. "When I was sure that all was as it should be, I also went into hiding. We knew that the signal for the attack on the turkeys was the call of the dove. When the turkeys had passed our hiding place and we were ready, I would signal Loki with the call of the dove and then repeat it. When he heard my calls, he would answer with a call and then attack." He rose slightly from his position on the ground and spoke even more softly then before. "It is important to know that turkeys cannot smell you. However, they can see even the smallest movement. You must be as still as a stone, as still as death." With this he sank to the ground and remained motionless for many minutes. The first set of dove calls floated softly away, but not before it had stopped the breathing of everyone in the clan. The second set of calls was met with hesitation and then an answering call from Loki's position. Seconds later Loki leapt to his feet with a shriek that could have awakened the dead. A collective gasp and ripple of movement went through the clan.

  Loki rushed forward screaming and then hooked his right foot behind his left knee and went crashing to the ground. He thrashed around on the ground as though he was tangled in vines. In the mean time, both Bana and Moki had leapt to their feet and where demonstrating with swift movements of their spears, how they had killed the turkeys. A murmur of approval went through the clan for their speed and efficiency. The crowd’s attention was drawn back to Loki's threshing and then with his battle with the invisible tom turkey, which brought laughter from the crowd. As the battle ended, Loki was trying to cover his head, face and groin at the same time. The clan roared. Loki, at last, free of the demon that had attacked him, seemed to lose his balance and waving both arms, fell over backwards to the delight of the clan. He flopped around for a few moments and then stopped and looked into the crowd with a shocked look on his face. The crowd grew quiet and waited for the finale. He sat up and wiggled his bottom and then looked down and pretended to pick up a dead turkey by the neck. The clan loved it; they cheered for him as he raised his invisible trophy above his head and walked around offering it for inspection.

  As Koonai came forward, the clan again became quiet. He smiled, "Tonight we have seen and learned of the hunt that has brought food to our fires. What have we learned? That a hunt should be planned and it must have a leader." He nodded to Bana. "This was done; Bana is a great hunter and is learning to lead. We also learned not to give up." He nodded this time toward Loki. "Even when things go wrong we can still learn from them."

  Most of the clan were looking toward Loki and smiling. Koonai’s next words wiped away their smiles. "Today Loki was lucky, but he could be dead." He let the words sink into the clan before he continued. "If the game had been a saber-toothed cat or bear, he would not be here. By the grace of the Great Spirit, he lives. However, it could have turned out differently. We must learn from our mistakes. It is good to learn from our mistakes, but it is better to learn from others' mistakes. For this we should thank Loki. Nevertheless, we should not do as he did. I know this to be true. You know this is true and so does Loki. We may smile at his actions here at the fire, but not in the forest." Koonai looked at each of the faces in the clan, especially the older children. Then he turned and faced the fire.

  After a few moments he spun around and raised his spear high in the air, "We have other lessons to learn tonight before we eat." He scanned the faces before him until he located Cano. “Come forward and tell us of the snake, Cano."

  He came forward self-consciously, paused, nodded to Koonai and then spoke. "I had been in the forest all day. I had traveled in the same direction the sun travels since morning." As he spoke he moved about the fire leaning down to clear an imagined branch, stepping over fallen logs and other obstacles. He moved with the smooth movements of a skilled hunter. When he stepped, his heel would come down first, and then the rest of his foot rolled down. "It was hot, and I had not seen any animals that I could get. The wind was still, and I could not smell or see any sign that game had passed this way recently. When there is no wind it is easier to find game, they can't smell us." He paused and looked around slowly, searching for something. "I was hungry and wanted water. The brush on the hillside was thick, but I could smell water, so I moved down the hill. There was a clearing part way down in a stand of cedar trees. There were large rocks sticking out of the ground and an open area, the sun was shining on the rocks." He moved forward and then stopped suddenly. "I saw movement and stood as still as I could. It was a lizard." Cano moved his hands to show the size of the lizard. "There was more! I could smell the flat, musky smell of snake. I didn't move at all. Animals can see quick movements but most can't see very slow movements. When there is danger or death near, don't move at all, stay as still as a rock. Wait. The snake came out of the rocks and struck the lizard. There is magic in the snake’s bite. The lizard died quickly." He reached behind his back and held the tail of the rolled up snake skin tightly, spun in a circle, and rolled the snake out on the ground toward the center of the clan. There was an involuntary gasp and those near the snake jerked back and away. "The snake started to eat the lizard headfirst. I waited until it was about half swallowed and then I struck down with my spear. It went in behind the head and deep into the lizard. The snake was hurt badly; it was mean and angry. It tried to get at me by spitting out the lizard." As he spoke, he demonstrated his movement and the peril of the snake's attempt at escape. "The tail came around and hit me in the leg, it knocked the spear loose and I had to jump back to get away. The snake was broken. It could not move the way it did before. I picked up a large rock and crushed its head. Then I used my spear to cut its head off. The snake was dead. I went to the stream to drink and wash the blood from the spear. When I had finished
, I left my spear at the stream and climbed back to the kill. I grabbed the snake by the tail.” Cano demonstrated by reaching down and grasping the tail of the snakeskin with his right hand. He made a quick snapping motion and the opposite end spun around and struck him in the chest area. He let out a surprised cry of pain and fear as he rolled away. The movement of the snake and Cano's rolling and tumbling across the ground sent a ripple of fear and a collective gasp through the clan. His cry was echoed by most who were near the snake. "There was blood at my throat and I was hurt from my fall back to the streambed. A short time ago, I was a brave hunter, now I was a hunter who was dying. I sat down and waited for Death to come. I thought, How foolish I am. I was killed by a dead snake."

  Cano slowly rose to his feet and continued. "The snake had not moved. I sat there for some time, and then I started to feel hungry. Why would I feel hungry if I was dying? I touched my throat and found the blood was drying. I couldn't feel any holes from the snake's teeth. Then I realized that the snake had no head, it could not have killed me. The Great Spirit was watching and I had been given a lesson to learn. I sat thinking about this and thanked the Great Spirit for sparing my life. It was then that I started to understand the lesson. As I had the power to kill the snake, so did the snake have the power to kill the lizard. I had forgotten to honor the spirit of the snake. The most valuable thing the snake had was its life, and I had taken it away. And I scorned it. Why not? It was dead and I had killed it, I was mighty. The Great Spirit showed me that I could die as quickly as the snake had died. I thought about it and realized this is the way it should be. We are all creatures of the Great Spirit.